Solar Water Heater
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Heat up your outdoor shower with an assist from the sun.
Posted by ReadyMade
A simple solar water heater takes our outdoor shower to the next level.
Skill Level
Very Easy
Active Time
One day
Cost
$
- 5-gallon black plastic bucket with lid and handle
- Clear plastic tubing
- Female-end garden-hose coupler to fit plastic tubing
- Cork stopper to fit plastic tubing
- Fast-setting waterproof epoxy
Materials
- Drill bit (sized to the narrow end of the coupler)
- Lighter
- Drill
Tools
Heat the drill bit over a lighter flame. This makes drilling through the plastic bucket much easier.
Turn the bucket upside down and drill through the bottom’s center. Take it slow, and stop to reheat the bit if it cools.
Flip the bucket right-side up and push the coupler through the hole from the inside to ensure a good fit. The threaded side of the coupler should be flush against the inside.
Mix the epoxy.
Slide the thin end of the coupler back up into the bucket a little, so you can slather that section with epoxy.
Now push the coupler back down until the threaded side is flush again. The epoxy should ooze over the edge of the coupler.
Hold in place while the epoxy sets.
Fit the plastic tubing over the thin end of the coupler (running the tubing under hot water will make it slide on more easily) and seal off the other end with the cork stopper. Fill your bucket with water, close the lid, and wait for the sun to perform its magic.
Prop up the bucket on a window ledge or hang from a nearby fence or tree (gravity drives the flow).
Uncork and enjoy.
